I am a firm believer in investing in skincare rather than makeup. So, because of my minimalist approach, I tend to buy and use only the essential makeup products. So, without further ado, here are my essentials that I always wear and keep in my makeup bag!
10. L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes
Mascara
I absolutely love mascara (and am not ashamed to admit that I love to cake it on until it clumps)! It brings attention to your eyes while defining them and making you look more awake. Who doesn't love that? Every girl should own a good mascara that leaves her lashes looking more voluminous, longer, and curvier. I don't think it's necessary to spend a lot on a good mascara as there are excellent mascaras available in the drugstore, such as my personal favourite, the L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara.
Runner up: L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black
Designer Alternative: Christian Dior Diorshow Iconic
9. MAC Eyeshadow in "Charcoal Brown"
I absolutely adore this eyeshadow. I use it in the crease for a bit of definition of my eye, as well as for filling in my eyebrows. Unfortunately, I inherited (from my mom's side of the family) very light eyebrows so I really need to fill them in for them to match my skin tone and hair colour. It used to be a lot more visible when I was younger because I had a much darker, more olive skin tone which got paler as I grew older. Thankfully now it's not as noticeable or else I'd be rocking the avant-garde trend of no eyebrows all the time!
Just to show you I'm not joking, here's me at age 11...with the lightest eyebrows.
Ohhhhh yeah. My awkward stage lasted about 8 years.
8. Revlon Illuminance Creme Shadow Palette in "710 Not Just Nudes"
I absolutely love this palette. When I'm travelling, this is the only eyeshadow palette I ever take...actually, this is the only eyeshadow palette I own!!! It is the perfect formulation for the eyes as it does not crease, nor does it fade (even after a good 14 hour day!). My personal favourite out of the palette is the champagne colour (second from the left), which I love to dab right in the middle of the eyelids to brighten up my eyes. It has great shine which just helps make your face glow. The colours in the palette are perfect for a day look, as well as for creating a smoky brown look for the night. It contains both matte and shimmery shades so it's perfect to travel with since you can choose if you want a more natural look (the matte shadows) or a more pronounced look (the shimmery shades). Overall, this palette is fantastic for anyone who loves a good neutral eye with a bit of shimmer and definition!
The picture does not do these eyeshadows justice! Be sure to check them out for yourself at your local drugstore!
7. Revlon Age Defying Moisturizing Concealer with SPF 25 in the Medium Shade
This is hands down my holy grail concealer!!!! It rarely creases, looks so natural, and protects your eyes from UV rays with its SPF 25. It is also hygienic to use due to the design of the packaging (it looks like a needle). I've been looking for ages for a really good concealer and have tried pretty much every concealer from Sephora. I spontaneously bought this on a late night run to the drugstore and instantly fell in love with it! But beware...it has just been discontinued. I'm so heartbroken by this! Now, I'll have to be on the search for another concealer. If you can still get your hands on this, then run to the stores!! For now, I'll be depending on eBay to get my fix...
6. Biotherm Blush! in #60
I bought this on a whim (this seems to be how I usually find out about great products!) at a sample sale and have been obsessed with it since then. It has very finely milled glitter in it so it gives the perfect glow while still remaining natural looking. For my skin tone, colour #60 is a perfect combination of a blush and a bronzer. I put this over my cheekbone and cheek area to define my cheekbones while still giving me a nice refreshing glow and adding some well-needed colour to my cheeks. It is very buildable but I prefer to keep it natural looking so I only swipe it onto my cheeks once or twice.
5. eos Lip Balm
All right...I admit it. I was drawn in by the packaging of this lip balm. It reminded me of the toy sphere that comes in a Kinder Surprise Egg which I used to devour (and still do) when I was a child. Imagine my surprise when this quirky packaged lip balm actually delivered! Instantly, my lips felt moisturized and much softer. With chronic use, my lips have overall become softer and less prone to becoming chapped in the cold cold cooooooold wintertime. I love the stares I get when I pull this out in public and it's always a conversation starter, but most of all I love how great this product is! This may be the first product where the packaging actually matches up to the quality!
4. MAC Matte Lipstick in 'Ruby Woo'
This is the absolute perfect red for my skin tone. I originally started out with MAC's 'Russian Red' but it is too vampy for me and sucks the life out of my face, no pun intended. Meanwhile, 'Ruby Woo' brightens up my face and draws attention to the lips all while enhancing my skin tone and making my teeth look whiter! I absolutely adore a red lip and love to wear one as often as I can. It is the epitome of class and elegance, while still looking sultry and feminine. 'Ruby Woo' is my go to red colour when I need to look my best!
3. Stila Lip & Cheek Stain in Pomegranate Crush
As I'm sure you can tell by now (minus the bold red lip), I love natural looking makeup. This stain is perfect for making your lips look berry beautiful (see what I did there?? see? see!!!!?) and giving your lips a nice flush of colour. It also livens up your dull skin by bringing a bit of colour onto your face. Since it's a stain, it's perfect for those days when you will be doing a bit of eating, kissing, beatboxing, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation etc. ...or when you just want to look like you have no makeup on but still have a beautiful tint to your lips!
2. Dior DiorSkin Nude Natural Glow Creme-Gel Makeup SPF 20 Powder in Light Beige 020
Although it's a bit of a splurge, I find it's absolutely worth it! I don't normally wear foundation day-to-day so this is a great alternative for evening out the skin tone and providing nice albeit very light coverage. I prefer a powder to a tinted moisturizer since I find, at least for me, the powder helps my concealer and blush stay on longer and also, it looks much more natural. I also came across this accidentally when I was gifted a Dior travel kit palette and this powder came in it.
1. Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butter in 050 Berry Smoothie
Everyone and their mother has heard of Revlon's revolutionary lip butters and I feel like I must add my two cents into the mix! These lip balm/lipstick hybrids feel comfortable on the lips, stay put, and moisturize all while looking absolutely beautiful! I love the Berry Smoothie shade as it works perfectly for my skin tone and is a nice colour to wear during the daytime. Lip butters are also a perfect introductory product for those just starting to get into lipstick. They're light, not super pigmented, and come in very flattering colours.
So there you go! Those are my 10 essential makeup products that I always have in my bag!
Love,
Alona
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